Rump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin

Two kinds of magic operate here. One is toxic, uncontrolled and at the story's core. The other is the actual magical sparkle spun by a masterful storyteller. The tale is a good one and most have no doubt heard some version of it before. This time, however, it unfolds from inside the mind of Rumpelstiltskin himself, a character traditionally marked as a villain. We see him now as a well-meaning, but inexperienced, bungling and over-matched "tweener" suddenly aware that he's misused magic and made a mess of things. The real strength of this book is the skill of the writer. She has fashioned an uninterrupted hum of action involving a cast of characters finely scaled to precisely the proper degree of "appealing" or "disagreeable" without crossing the line to genuinely "offensive." The story advances with balance, suspense, and well-placed humor. The result invites ongoing reader reaction ranging from dismay to approval to surprise. Even if your memory has muddled somewhat with time, it doesn't matter. The tale in these pages -- while departing from the original Grimm -- draws its audience into a fresh, exciting and, I believe, improved version, aka, a Liesl Shurtliff fairy tale.

This story is such a fun read! We read it as a family, and it kept my kindergarten-aged child all the way up to my junior high-aged child (and everyone in-between) entertained and asking for another chapter. Mixed in with the fun is a heart-felt and encouraging message for everyone trying to find their place in this journey of life. I highly recommend!

"My mother named me after a cow's rear end." The first sentence of Liesl Shurtliff's book RUMP sets the stage for the book's protagonist and his life on The Mountain. Rump is not his entire name, mind you. As his mother attempted to utter it on her deathbed, Rump was all that she could muster before taking her last breath. The problem is that names are one's destiny and have magic powers. With a name like Rump, the future doesn't look very bright. Also, he's teased and tormented by the village bullies, Fredrick and Bruno, who call him "Butt". Though the book's first sentence is an attention grabber, especially for kids. The story begins at a rather plodding pace in its first 50 pages. Its aim is to reveal the "little man's" side of the story. How he got his name, and the journey to spinning straw for the queen in exchange for her first born child. It's quite a page-turning story, indeed, if you can hang in there and get through the beginning. As with most stories that interweave magic throughout the plot, there are pixies, trolls, and gnomes. Shurtliff presents them with a twist by making the gold-loving pixies as annoying and bothersome, trolls as loving through dirty creatures, and for me the most humorous, message delivering gnomes who take their jobs very seriously. When Rump discovers his mother's spinning wheel, that is when all the trouble begins. Warned by his Gran and his friend Red not to spin, Rump discovers that magic has a price and, at times, dire consequences. Throughout the plot, rhyme-creating, and self-deprecating Rump, is in search of his true and complete name to discover his true destiny. Unfortunately, his ability to spin straw into gold has him under the power of the Miller who is determined to exploit Rump and his dimwitted daughter, Opal, to his maximum benefit. Thus, he manages to marry Opal off to King Bartholomew, otherwise known as King Barf. Rump, feeling responsible for the fate of Opal, decides he must rescue her from a very unpleasant demise. Yet, the magic that Rump possesses doesn't always allow to him adhere exactly to his plan. Overall, this is a well-written book. There are some interesting plot twists and Shurtliff keeps it light-hearted with plenty of humor. Being familiar with the story Rumpelstiltskin makes this much more interesting and fun. Since it was one of my favorites growing up (I always liked that the queen guessed his name and kept her baby.), it was the primary reason I decided to give it a read. I found the author's note in the back interesting. Like Shurtliff, I have an uncommon first name. At least the spelling is unusual. So, I can relate to why she would tell Rump's story. (I could never get one of those name key chains either.) Four stars.

This was one of the books from my middle school years and I wanted to read it again after so long. I'm so happy to read this story once again.💖💖💖

I loved this book. I love the focus on his name and what he would mean to him in his journey of self discovery. Can be read on many levels. Especially loved the ending!

As a fairytale lover this book really kept my attention. Rump was a twelve year old boy who was in search of his destiny. His destiny was so important because he believed your name means your destiny, and he wanted a good one. One day Rump finds a spinning wheel and wants it for his birthday. The spinning wheel was so important to Rump because it was his mothers before she died. Later on he goes on a journey so he can figure out the rest of his name, and on the journey he learns a lot of lessons.

We are really enjoying this take on the fairytale Rumplestilskin. He likes me to read to him, and I love doing so. This is a nice story for us both.

One of the best books I’ve read to my students! I teach 5th grade and read-a-loud books don’t always hold their attention. This one grabbed us all! I usually read one chapter per day, but my students were begging me to read 2! Highly recommend!